4 February 2025
Fife College has announced Erin Fox and Cameron Reid as this year’s George Lauder Bursary recipients.
The prestigious scholarship, generously supported by the family of George Lauder and the Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York, offers students a unique opportunity to study and live in the USA for the summer. It covers all expenses, including food, travel, and accommodation.
The award of the Bursary celebrates the vision of Lauder, Fife College’s founding father. The College traces its roots back to 1899 when the Lauder Technical College was established in Dunfermline, thanks to the vision of Lauder and the financial backing of his nephew, Andrew Carnegie.
Erin, from Dunfermline, is currently studying for a BA in Childhood Studies at the College. She plans to explore courses related to early education and child development during her stay in the USA, enhancing her knowledge and skills to support her career aspirations.
She is especially interested in comparing the Curriculum for Excellence in Scotland with the approaches to education in the USA in areas such as behaviour management, equality challenges and curriculum structure.
Erin said:
“I feel incredibly honoured and grateful to have been chosen for the George Lauder Bursary. This is a life-changing opportunity that will allow me to gain new skills, meet new people, and experience a new culture. As a future teacher, I hope to pass on the knowledge and experiences I gain to inspire my students to follow their dreams and embrace new opportunities.
“I started my journey with very few qualifications and wasn’t sure how to become a teacher. Fife College showed me there are many pathways to success, and now I’m applying for my postgraduate teaching degree – something I once thought was impossible.
“This scholarship will give me even more confidence in my teaching career, and I hope to use it to inspire not only my students but also the young girls I mentor through my work with the Brownies.”
Cameron, also from Dunfermline, is a former Fife College student who studied Sound Production. Now based in Glasgow, Cameron is currently studying for an honour’s degree in Music Technology at the University of the West of Scotland.
During his time in the USA, Cameron plans to get involved in courses that focus on studio production, orchestral arrangements, and cinematic audio for film and TV – areas that align closely with his current freelance work with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.
Cameron said:
“I am absolutely delighted to be awarded the George Lauder Bursary to study abroad in the USA over the summer!
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, and I feel incredibly privileged to be in this position. I am looking forward to being able to learn and develop my skills and knowledge in audio engineering at an internationally renowned music institute.
“It will also allow me to network and build meaningful connections with like-minded individuals as well as allow me to work on exciting projects with some of the best audio engineers and musicians in the world.”
Erin and Cameron’s scholarship awards were given a special seal of approval from the Great-Great-Grandson of George Lauder, William Garner at the College. William and his family, who live in Virginia and also Washington DC, have visited the College on several occasions in the past.
William was delighted to have lunch with the students and hear about their plans for their summer in the USA. They were also joined by former bursary recipients, including Camryn Provan and Megan Simpson, who shared their experiences from their life-changing trips to the USA last summer.
William said:
“I am delighted that my visit to Scotland has coincided with the award of the George Lauder Bursary. It has been wonderful to meet Erin and Cameron, both of whom are truly deserving of this year’s bursary. I have no doubt they will gain invaluable experiences from their time in the USA, broadening their knowledge and shaping their future careers.”
William’s visit also follows the naming of the Lauder Library at Fife College’s new Dunfermline City Campus. A tribute to Lauder’s lasting legacy in education within Fife, the new library will be a focal point of the College’s state-of-the-art, net-zero-ready campus which will open later this year as part of the Dunfermline Learning Campus.
Lyn Gold, Scholarship and Alumni Engagement Lead at Fife College, said:
“We are delighted to award this year’s George Lauder Bursary to Erin and Cameron. Both have shown a strong commitment to their respective fields of study and a real passion for expanding their knowledge and skills through this incredible opportunity in the USA.
“I would like to thank the descendants of George Lauder, the other friends of the College based in the USA, and the Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York for their continued support in making this life-changing experience possible for our students.”
The George Lauder Bursary, offered through Adam Smith Scholarships, part of Fife College, reflects a longstanding partnership between the College and supporters in the USA who share a commitment to educational excellence and global citizenship.
Funded through annual contributions from the descendants of George Lauder and other friends of the College in the USA, the Bursary is administered by the St. Andrew’s Society of the State of New York.
The Bursary is open to full-time or part-time students currently enrolled at Fife College and those who have studied at Fife College in the last four years.
For more information about the George Lauder Bursary and other scholarship opportunities at Fife College, please visit our scholarship pages here or contact scholarships@fife.ac.uk.
Fife College’s new Dunfermline City Campus, set to welcome students later this year, is part of the new Dunfermline Learning Campus – an innovative, integrated and collaborative venture to relocate the College's Dunfermline Campus, St Columba’s RC High School and Woodmill High School to a purpose-built new campus.